RE: [ihc] Joel's Trailer Towing

["Steve Stegmann" <steve.stegmann@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John,

I doubt that the sway bar is really necessary when pulling with my F250HD.
But, having been in a car that was trying to get behind the trailer all the
time I'll use anything that stiffens the hitch.  My truck is heavily sprung,
has a 155 inch wheelbase, stiff truck tires, and even an anti-roll bar in
the back.  It's just about impossible to move this thing sideways.

If you take 30 inches off the wheelbase, have soft off-road tires and
relatively soft springs and no anti-roll bar in the back or maybe even the
front, it's going to be a whole different experience.

Proper loading will take care of the worst tendencies of the trailer to go
sideways but they still get blown around by trucks, sidewinds, storms
(remember Auburn last year, 7 in rain) moving the steering wheel too fast
when you wake up, etc.  The pulling vehicle has to be stiff enough to
control this with little input from the driver.  I've never seen anyone who
can do this fast enough to counteract a sway.  If the mythical driver does
show up, almost certainly the other driver in the vehicle won't be able to
do it.

Keep pulling John,

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: John Hofstetter [mailto:hofs@domain.elided]
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2004 10:02 PM
To: Steve Stegmann; Tom Mandera; Joel M Brodsky
Cc: Ryan Moore; ihc@domain.elided; Mac McMuffin; hofs@domain.elided
Subject: Re: [ihc] Joel's Trailer Towing


on 4/3/04 9:04 AM, Steve Stegmann at steve.stegmann@domain.elided wrote:

> Joel,
>
> There's more to it than just getting the ride height back up. Get the bars
> for the hitch and get a sway control for the hitch also.  It won't add
much
> to the cost.  Seems like mine was about $300 brand new.  Used should be
just
> fine.  If they're not bent, they're fine.  This is **not** the place to be
> cheap.  Do that somewhere else.
>
> Steve

Joel probably already knows that I think the equalizer hitch is the ONLY way
to go, but unlike Steve, I've never needed a sway bar, even when I had one
already installed, when my Eq. hitch was properly adjusted.

Those torsion bars have an anti-sway capacity of their own, plus proper
weight distribution eliminates most, if not all, the tendency to sway.

I pulled my 27 foot travel trailer with my Grand Cherokee literally all over
the country. Equalizer hitch, no sway bar.

However, Steve is a good resource and may have other experiences supporting
his belief in sway bars. Let me say that I've spent some time camping with
that fellow, and I've never seen him sway. <g>

I paid $50 about a year ago for a hitch that was in primo condition. Guys
moving from conventional trailers to 5th wheels often end up with extra
equalizer hitches. I've seen used ones stacked along the walls of trailer
dealers.

John Hofstetter